Employee Shot - Volume 12, Episode 1

By Sam Payne

Hans Pierre, a 25-year-old employee of ARA Services at Milton Academy, was fatally shot on Tuesday, March 22, 1994. He was found with a bullet wound to the head in the passenger seat of his Chevrolet Blazer outside of his girlfriend’s apartment in Mattapan. According to Ted Wade (Business Manager), “It was clearly murder.”

Pierre, a Sharon resident, worked as a receiver of goods with ARA from September 1993 until his death. By all accounts he was a quiet person and a satisfactory worker who did not attract attention. As Wade said, “If I saw him on the street off campus, I probably wouldn’t have recognized him as someone who worked for Milton.” Pierre’s job did not place him in regular contact with students or faculty. 

Police found Pierre between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m., and he was pronounced dead at 

Boston City Hospital at 3:56 p.m. According to Robert Sears’ March 23 article in The Patriot Ledger, “witnesses reported seeing a man running away from the vehicle. Police said they have no suspects.” The article suggests that Pierre’s murder may have been related to his allegedly witnessing a friend’s shooting at Mattapapn Square a few days earlier. Headmaster Fredie responded to the death in a letter dated March 30 in which he wrote: “On behalf of the Academy I have extended our condolences to [Pierre’s] family and hope that each of you will take a moment to reflect on the loss of a member of our community.” Cesar Perreira (III) expressed the feelings of many students and faculty when he said that “even though I didn’t know him, it really forced me to take a reality check; I didn’t think that sort of thing would happen here at Milton.”

Unfortunately, Pierre was not the first Milton staff member recently killed near Milton. About a year and a half ago, Cebien Odney, a Milton Facilities worker commonly known as “Mr. O,” was killed in his Mattapan home while on lunch break. Wade stated that “the two murders were not related.” Wade also speculated that the killing of Mr. O, an Hatian immigrant, “may have been linked to Hatian politics,” though he described Mr. O’s case as “unresolved.” Wade added that “it is a sad commentary on our society that cases of black-on-black violence are often not publicized or investigated thoroughly.” As Fredie Wrote in his letter, “It is unfortunate when a tragedy like this strikes, and particularly difficult when it is someone with whom we work.”